Clean and cut cauliflower into small pieces. Cook in boiling water for about 6 minutes, or until well done. Drain leaving just a little water behind.

In a blender or food processor, puree the hot cauliflower with the parmesan cheese, garlic, salt, pepper and heavy whipping cream.

Garnish with chives or parsley

Cherry Kale Salad

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

8 cups kale leaves, massaged

8 strips bacon, diced

24 cup cherries, halved (seeds removed)

½ cup blueberries

½ cup diced granny smith apple

¼ cup walnuts

Balsamic Vinaigrette:

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (no sugar added)

½ tablespoon Stevia

½ teaspoon basil

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

⅓ cup olive oil

salt & pepper to season

Directions: Massage torn kale leaves with a bit of sea salt. Heat a medium sauté pan to medium high heat, add bacon and cook for 5 minutes until crispy. Remove and place on a paper towel to let grease drain. In a small bowl add Dijon mustard, Stevia, basil, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Whisk to emulsify (so the oil and vinegar are no longer separated). In a large bowl add kale, bacon, cherries, blueberries, apples, and walnuts. Serve dressing on the side or toss in at the last minute.

Directions: Remove the strings from the each sugar snap pea by snapping the stem end and pulling the string down the side, then slice each one on the diagonal. (The sugar snap peas actually have a string on each side, but on most of them I only removed the string from one side.)

Mix the soy sauce, sesame oil, and Sriracha sauce in a small bowl and set aside.

Put the wok or heavy frying pan on the burner and preheat at least one minute. (It should feel very hot if you hold your hand above the wok.) When wok is hot, add the oil and let it heat until the oil is shimmering (about 15-30 seconds, depending on how hot your stove gets.) Add the sliced ginger root and garlic and stir-fry just long enough so that they become fragrant and season the oil, then remove. (Be careful not to brown the ginger and garlic or they will have a bitter taste.)

Add the sliced sugar snap peas and cook over high heat, stirring constantly, until the peas turn bright green and are just starting to cook, about 2 minutes. Pour in the sauce mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce just starts to coat the peas, about 1 minute more. (There will be some sauce in the bottom of the wok, but not much.) Serve hot, sprinkled with black sesame seeds or sesame seeds if desired.They taste great cold as leftovers too! Adapted fromKalynsKitchen.com.

ASIAN LETTUCE CUPS- SPICY GROUND TURKEY FILLING

(Makes 4-6 servings, recipe adapted from Kalyn’s Kitchen)

Ingredients:

1 T coconut oil m

3 T inced red onion or shallots

2 T minced garlic

2 T grated ginger root

1 1/2 lbs. ground turkey

4 T soy sauce

1 Tbsp canned chilies

1 cup chopped fresh cilantro (about 1/2 large bunch)

1/3 cup chopped almonds

1 head iceberg lettuce

Directions: Chop the onion and set aside. Peel ginger root, then grate with the large side of a cheese grater, and chop garlic if using fresh garlic. Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan, add onion and sauté about 2 minutes, and then add garlic and ginger root and sauté about one minute more.Add ground turkey to frying pan (with a bit more oil if needed) and break apart and spread out with turner, and then add soy sauce and canned chilies. Cook until the turkey is brown and crumbling apart, and the sauce is slightly reduced, about 5 minutes.

While turkey cooks, wash and chop fresh cilantro to make 1 cup. Remove the core end from lettuce, separate leaves, and wash in salad spinner and spin dry (or wash under running water and dry with paper towels.) Chop almonds and put in small bowl to serve.

When turkey is done, add chopped cilantro and cook 1-2 minutes more. Serve filling and lettuce leaves in separate bowls, with chopped almonds in another small bowl. Each person takes a lettuce leaf, fills with desired amount of turkey mixture, adds chopped almonds, and then eats the mixture from the lettuce cup. Fold the lettuce cup over to eat it.

ROASTED GREEN BEANS WITH MUSHROOMS, BALSAMIC, AND PARMESAN

(Makes 4-6 servings)

Ingredients:

8 oz. mushrooms, sliced in 1/2 inch slices

1 lb. fresh green beans

1 1/2 T organic (ghee) butter

1 T balsamic vinegar

salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

2 T finely grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 450F/230C. Wash mushrooms and let drain (or spin dry in salad spinner, which is what I did.) While mushrooms are drying, trim ends of beans and cut beans in half so you have bite-sized pieces. (An easy way to trim them is to gather a small handful of beans, stand them up on cutting board, holding loosely so they will fall down and have ends ends aligned, then trim. Repeat with other end.) Cut mushrooms into slices 1/2 inch thick.

Put cut beans and mushrooms into a Ziploc bag or plastic bowl. Heat butter until it melts then whisk together butter and balsamic vinegar and pour over, then squeeze bag or stir so all the beans and mushrooms are lightly coated with the mixture. Arrange on large cookie sheet, spreading them out well so beans and mushrooms are not crowded. Roast 20-30 minutes, starting to check after 20 minutes to see if they are done. Cook until beans are tender-crisp, mushrooms are cooked, and all liquid on the pan from mushrooms has evaporated. Season beans to taste with salt and fresh ground pepper, then sprinkle with finely grated Parmesan. Serve hot.

CHEESY BROCCOLI BALLS:

Ingredients:

2 cup chopped – broccoli, raw

1 large – egg

1/2 tsp – salt

3/4 cup – Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoon – coconut oil

Directions: Steam 2 cups of broccoli. Add broccoli, egg, salt, and Parmesan cheese to a food processor. Blend just till chopped finely. Using 1 tablespoon at a time, form into balls. Heat oil in a skillet. Drop balls of broccoli mixture into pan. Flatten with a spatula and cook until both sides are crispy.

PARMESAN CRUSTED YELLOW SQUASH:

INGREDIENTS:

6 yellow squash (about 6″ long)

6 oz. yellow onion

1 slice of Weigh Station approved homemade Flax bread- crumbled

1/2 C grated Parmesan cheese

Dash of Salt and Pepper

2 Tbsp butter

DIRECTIONS:

Slice onion into thin slivers and sauté in butter in no-stick skillet. Cook until they begin to brown. Turn off heat and let them cool. Now coat a 9×13 glass casserole pan with cooking spray. Slice the squash laterally/lengthwise into 1/4″ slices. This goes together in lasagna-type layers. First sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons of the flax breadcrumbs on the bottom of the pan. These will soak up moisture that bleeds out of the squash during cooking. Now place a single layer of squash slices in the pan. Try to place the slices so the pan is pretty much filled without gaps. Top with 1/4 of the browned onions. Next sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese. Repeat these steps until all ingredients are used, ending with onion on top. Cover pan tightly with foil and bake 30-40 minutes at 350 degrees. Uncover and add 2-3 tablespoons of water if there is no moisture left in the bottom of the pan. Bake another 20-30 minutes or until squash feels tender when knife is stuck into it and onions on the top are toasty brown. Toast top in broiler if needed.

*Makes 6 servings

EGGPLANT “CHIPS”:

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.Take one eggplant and cut it into thin 1/8″ rounds.Place the rounds on a cookie sheet that has sprayed with cooking spray liberally.Sprinkle eggplant slices with garlic salt, basil or oregano)Bake eggplant slices for one and half hours until the slices dehydrate into thin “chips.”

For a sweeter chip use Truvia or Stevia with a little vanilla extract and cinnamon.

CAULIFLOWER ALFREDO:

Ingredients:

3 small heads cauliflower

6 C vegetable broth

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp butter

1 tsp salt

Pinch of nutmeg & black pepper

1 tbsp olive oil

¼ C heavy whipping cream

1 large spaghetti squash

1 C boiling water

Directions:

Chop cauliflower. Bring the broth to a boil over medium high heat and add cauliflower. Cook until cauliflower is tender (~15 minutes). Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and sauté for 4-5 minutes or until soft. As the garlic and cauliflower are cooking, cut a spaghetti squash in half and remove seeds. Place half the squash face down in microwave safe dish with a small amount of water and microwave on high for 10 minutes. Repeat these steps with other half of the squash. Meanwhile, transfer the cauliflower to a blender with 2 cups of broth. You may need to do this in batches. Add the sautéed garlic, salt, nutmeg and black pepper and puree until very smooth (5 minutes). Once the mixture is moving, slowly pour the olive oil into the blender. Add more broth or water if the puree is too thick. You want it to turn through the blender easily. When puree is very smooth, transfer back to the butter and garlic pan. Add the cream and cook over low heat. Add 1 cup boiling water and keep warm until ready to serve. Once spaghetti squash is tender, scrape with a fork and combine the spaghetti squash “noodles” in a large pot with the sauce. Pair with lean ground meat or chicken.

Makes 8 servings, Serving size 1 C of sauce

*recipe adapted from: http://pinchofyum.com/healthy-fettucine-alfredo

ROASTED ZUCCHINI WITH ALMONDS AND MINT

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

6 medium zucchini, trimmed and halved lengthwise

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 C roasted almonds

2 tablespoons minced mint leaves

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp finely grated lemon zest

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Directions: Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Toss zucchini with oil and season with salt and pepper. Place zucchini cut side down on 2 baking sheets, making sure they aren’t crowded. Bake 13-15 minutes or until tender and lightly browned on bottom. Flip zucchini over onto serving platter. Place almonds, mint, garlic and lemon zest in small bowl and stir to combine. Drizzle lemon juice over zucchini, and sprinkle almond mixture over top.

CAULIFLOWER FRITTERS

Makes 4 fritters, serving: 1 fritter

Ingredients:

1/2 head of a medium size cauliflower

1/3 cup almond flour

1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese

1 lightly beaten egg

1/2 cup chopped parsley

1/4 cup chopped scallion

3tbsp of water

1 clove of garlic

1 tbsp coconut oil

salt & pepper to taste

For the vinaigrette:

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

3tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp Dijon mustard (low in sugar)

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 tsp herbs of Provence or if you don’t have herbs of Provence you can use Italian seasoning.

Topping; slices of smoked salmon

Directions:

Steam cauliflower for 4 minutes, do not to overcook. Take to a bowl and start to mash with a potato masher as much as you can then stir with a fork until it has a coarse texture small little pieces of cauliflower. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well with a wooden spoon then add the water little by little until it gets a thick batter texture not to soft just enough so you can shape fritters with your hands. Mince the garlic. Then, on a skillet heat up 1 tbsp of coconut oil over medium heat and add fritters, it will take about three minutes for each side, turn and cook for another three minutes.

For the vinaigrette; in a small bowl whisk all the ingredients together until emulsifies.

Place fritters on a plate and top each with slices of salmon. Gently drizzle the vinaigrette over the fritters just enough for each to get that herbed tangy touch which gives a twist. Serve with your favorite vegetable and lean protein.

Delicious!

CUCUMBER “SUB”

Ingredients:

1 cucumber

3 ounces of lunch meat (your choice)

2 tsp mayo and or mustard (optional)

1 small sweet pepper (sliced)

Directions: Cut the cucumber in half long ways and remove the seeds to hollow out the cucumber. Add desired condiments, lunch meat and pepper to the cucumber slices to make a “sub”. Enjoy!

SUMMER KEBABS

Ingredients:

1/4 C olive oil

2 bsp white wine vinegar

1 yellow bell pepper, halved, cut into 12 squares

1/2 Small red onion, halved and cut into 12 slices

12 whole small mushrooms

Directions: Coat grill grate or grill pan with cooking spray, and pre-heat over medium heat. To make Kebabs: Whisk together oil, vinegar and mustard powder in small bowl. Thread each of 12 skewers with 1 slice of each veggie (add protein if desired). Place skewers on platter and brush on vinaigrette mixture. Grill 6-8 minutes turning every 2 minutes or until veggies are tender (and meat cooked through). Makes 4 servings.

FATTOUSH SALAD

For the dressing

Ingredients:

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

7 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 head romaine lettuce, diced (about 4 cups)

2 small cucumbers, peeled, seeded and diced

2 red bell pepper (capsicum) seeded and diced

3 green (spring) onions including tender green tops, minced

1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley

32 ounces of cooked chicken

Directions:

To make the dressing, combine the lemon juice, garlic, cumin, salt, red pepper flakes and black pepper in a blender or a food processor. Process until smooth. With the motor running, slowly add the olive oil in a thin stream until emulsified. Set the dressing aside.

In a large bowl, combine the lettuce, cucumbers, bell pepper, green onions, mint and parsley and toss. Add the dressing and toss lightly to coat evenly. Divide the salad among 8 individual plates. Top with grilled chicken dividing evenly. Serve immediately.

1 (28 ounce) can of marinated peppers (found on the pickle isle), pureed

4 C shredded kale

1 tsp salt

Directions: Heat oil in a large saute’ pan over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic to the pan and saute’ for 4-6 minutes or until lightly browned. Add rosemary, thyme, peppers, zucchini and pureed marinated peppers as well as kale and salt to the pan. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Enjoy!

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the zucchini into cubes and place in a 9×5 glass baking pan. Puree the roasted red peppers in a food processor or blender and pour over zucchini. Sprinkle cheese on top. Allow to bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes. Take it out and add the pre-cooked ground turkey and allow to cook for a minute or two more (just to allow the turkey to get warm).

Makes 4 servings and provides 4.5 ounces of protein and two vegetables per serving.

BALSAMIC BRUSSELS SPROUTS

Ingredients:

2- 3 cups brussels sprouts, sliced in half

dash salt and pepper, to taste

3 tbsp balsamic vinegar

3 tbsp olive oil

Preparation:

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk together the vinegar, salt and pepper together in a small bowl. Slowly incorporate the olive oil until a dressing is formed. Place the brussels sprouts in a single layer on a baking sheet. Drizzle the oil and vinegar over the sprouts and gently toss to coat.

Bake for 25 minutes, turning once. Sprouts are done when they are lightly browned.

LACTO-FERMENTED DILLY BEANS

EquipmentOne-quart Mason jar1- or 2-piece lid

Ingredients:

1 1/4 lbs young green beans (beans should be crunchy)3 to 4 tsp sea salt (It’s important to use non-iodized salt. This includes sea salt, land salt, and kosher salt without additives.

Directions:1. Boil 2 to 3 quarts of water with a little non-iodized salt. Submerge green beans for 2 to 3 minutes (until they turn bright green); remove from heat and cool completely with cold water. Place cooked, cooled beans in a clean, 1-quart Mason jar and add salt, garlic, and spices. Cover beans, spices, and salt with water to top of jar. Put a 1- or 2-piece lid on the jar; shake to dissolve salt. Place jar in a room where the temperature is steadily 65˚F to 75˚F (If the temperature fluctuates, the fermentation will be mediocre.)

The beans should be done in about 14 days. After this initial fermentation, the beans should be stored in the refrigerator. They will continue to mature and age for several months, but you can eat them any time.

ROASTED VEGETABLE BITES

Ingredients:

1 C sliced zucchini or egg plant

1 tsp olive oil

1 slice reduced fat provolone cheese

3 fresh basil leaves

Directions: Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees. Brush the eggplant or zucchini with olive oil and allow to roast for ~15 minutes. Top with 1 slice of cheese and fresh basil(cut into pieces that fit each slice of vegetable). Can pair this with an apple for a great snack.

Makes 2 servings with 1/2 ounces of protein per serving.

CABBAGE “HASH BROWNS”

(2 servings)

Ingredients:

2 cups cabbage — thinly sliced

1 egg

1 green onion — chopped

1 Tablespoon canola oil

salt and pepper — to taste

Directions:

Combine all ingredients except canola oil in a medium bowl. Stir until well combined. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. With hands, clump hash mixture to form two patties. Place patties in skillet. When brown on one side, turn patties and cook the other side.

ROASTED BROCCOLI:

1/2 pound broccoli florets (4 cups)

2 teaspoons olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Spread the broccoli onto a cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Roast in oven on 400 degrees until dark green in color and slightly crisp. Add and salt and pepper, to taste

SPINACH BURGERS:

Ingredients:

1 bag of thawed and well drained chopped spinach

2 egg whites

1 whole egg

1/4 c diced onion

1/2 c shredded cheese

1/4 c Parmesan cheese

1/4 C cauliflower (steamed and blended)

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp garlic powder

Directions: Combine ingredients in a large bowl and divide into 6 patties. In a large skillet coated with cooking spray, cook the patties on each side until egg is cooked through and patty is firm ~2 minutes each side. Enjoy! Counts as 1 vegetable, negligible protein.

CAULIFLOWER “RICE”

Ingredients:

1 head cauliflower

Directions: Process fresh cauliflower until it is the size of rice, either using the plain steel blade or the shredder blade. Alternatively, you can shred it with a hand held greater, or even use a knife, if you have the dexterity to chop it up very finely. Microwave it in a covered dish. DO NOT ADD WATER. Cauliflower absorbs water and the granules will be gummy. Instead just microwave by itself for a few minutes until fluffy.

Serving 1/2 C cooked.

Kale Chips:

Ingredients:

Large bag of kale

2 tbsp olive oil

sea salt to taste

Directions: Spread kale leaves out onto a cookie sheet. Drizzle olive oil and sea salt over the leaves. Broil for about 5 minutes until leaves are crisp.

1 C cooked = 1 vegetable serving

CHOPPED SUMMER SALAD

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

4 C of shredded cabbage

4 C of mixed spring greens

lemon juice from 1 fresh lemon

1/4 C yellow pepper, chopped

1/4th C green pepper, chopped

1/4th C red onion, chopped

1/4th C cucumber, chopped

3 tbsp red wine vinegar

3 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Directions: Rinse lettuce and veggies. Pat dry and mix in a large bowl combining all ingredients. May substitute any approved stage 2 veggies you wish. Enjoy!

COOL CHICKEN AND ZUCCHINI SALAD

4 servings

Ingredients:

2 medium zucchinis, shaved with potato peeler

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp fresh lime juice

1 pkt stevia

1 red chili or 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Salt and pepper

1 granny smith apple cut into wedges

1/2 seedless cucumber, cut into thin half-moons

2 scallions, thinly sliced

1 two pound rotisserie chicken

1/4 C fresh mint, thinly sliced

Directions: Cook the zucchini in the olive oil over medium heat until tender, allow to cool. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the lime juice, stevia, chili and 1/4 tsp salt and pepper. Add the apple, cucumber and scallions to the lime juice mixture and toss to coat. Slice or shred the chicken, discarding the bones. Add to the apple- cucumber mix and toss to combine. Add the zucchini “pasta” and toss again.

CUCUMBER AND RED ONION SALAD:

Ingredients:

2 small seedless cucumbers, thinly sliced

1 C thinly sliced red onion

1 tbsp white vinegar

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

1 tbsp rice vinegar

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp sesame oil

Directions: In a small bowl, combine cucumbers and red onion. In another small bowl, whisk the vinegars, salt, pepper and oil. Pour over cucumber mixture; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour. Serve with slotted spoon. Makes four servings.

GRILLED TOFU SALAD

4 servings

Ingredients:

3 tbsp white balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp Dijon mustard

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

12 ounces firm tofu

12 cups mixed salad greens

2 hard boiled eggs

2 red peppers, sliced

Directions: In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, oil, mustard, salt and pepper. Set aside. Heat a nonstick over medium high heat. Coat with nonstick cooking spray; add tofu and grill 3 minutes each side. Remove to a plate and cut into bite size pieces. Toss greens with 3 tbsp of the dressing and distribute evenly over 4 dinner plates. Arrange tofu, eggs and red pepper on top.

Provides 2.5 ounces of protein per portion.

SAUTEED SPINACH WITH MUSHROOMS:

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil

8 ounces sliced mushrooms

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 lbs fresh spinach leaves, cleaned and torn

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/3 C Grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions: Heat oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and garlic; cook and stir until mushrooms are tender. Add spinach; cook and stir on medium heat for 4-5 minutes or until wilted and bright green. Stir in salt and pepper and sprinkle with parmesan.

Makes 8 servings.

FIRM TOFU STIR FRY:

Ingredients:

1 block firm tofu

1/4 C asparagus,

1/4 C broccoli,

1/4 C green onions

1/4 C shredded cabbage

1-2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

ginger to taste

1 clove garlic

Directions: Take your block of extra-firm tofu and slice it into four thinner pieces. Put the slices betweenlayers of paper towels and put something heavy on top to press out extra water. After an hour or so, your tofu is ready to use! (You can also try freezing the tofu and thawing it ahead of time to give it a “meatier” texture).

Can keep extra in a ziplock baggie in the fridge for future use if desired.

Use all the firm tofu and add a bit of crushed garlic, balsamic vinegar and some ginger. Let it marinate for a half hour or so. Drain and cut into triangles.

Then chop about a 1/4 C of each of the following: asparagus, broccoli, green onions, and shredded cabbage. Toss them in a nonstick pan that’s been heated with 1 teaspoon of coconut oil. Stir fry until crisp-tender. Scoot them over to the side and add the tofu triangles and cook until they are browned. Flip them over and brown the other side. Stir everything together.

Makes 2 servings.

SPINACH SALAD WITH BACON AND ROASTED MUSHROOMS

Ingredients:

8 thick slices bacon, cut cross wise into 1/4 inch pieces

4 Cups sliced mushrooms (shiitakes or chanterelles work well)

1 large red onion, sliced into 1/4 inch pieces

3 tbsp olive oil

Juice of 1 lime

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp salt

8 cups spinach (Malabar works well)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and place a rack in the middle of the oven. Divide bacon between 2 baking pans. Scatter mushrooms and onion over bacon. Roast until bacon is crisp, 15-20 minutes, stirring halfway through to break up clumps. Meanwhile, in a small microwave safe bowl, combine olive oil, lime juice, oregano, salt and 2 tbsp water. Microwave on high for 30 seconds. Place spinach in a large salad bowl. Sprinkle bacon mixture over spinach. Drizzle with warm dressing and toss. Add protein of choice on top, enjoy!

Recipe from Country Living Magazine, April 2012

CABBAGE ROLLS

Ingredients:

1 medium cabbage

1 lb lean ground beef

½ onion chopped onion

1 bell pepper, chopped

1 tsp salt and pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

1 beaten egg

Directions:

Prepare a large pot of boiling water, remove core of cabbage and place the cabbage in the water, after a few minutes the top leaf of the cabbage will loosen, remove with a tong and place to the side, repeat until you have 12 leaves. Meanwhile, combine all other ingredients and place some of this mixture (about 1 1/2 tbsp) on each cabbage leaf & fold “envelope” fashion. If the leaf is tough, it will be easier to do this if you make a V shaped incision & remove a part of the coarser spine. You can also try simply rolling the cabbage around the filling and just “tuck” the ends into the roll with your fingers. Lay flap side down on a cookie sheet coated with foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. * Optional: top each cabbage roll with 2% cheese.

Makes 4 servings (3 rolls each).

HINT OF LEMON SQUASH SAUTÉ

Ingredients:

2 medium yellow summer squash

1 small onion

2 tbsp olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 tsp grated lemon peel

1/4 tsp dried rosemary, crushed

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Sauté squash and onion in oil in a large skillet for 5-7 minutes until tender. Add the remaining ingredients; cook 1 minute longer. Enjoy!

1/2 C per serving= 1 vegetable serving.

GREEN BEANS AND BRUSSELS SPROUTS:

Makes 8 servings:

Ingredients:

10 ounces Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved

1 lb green beans, halved

4 slices thick cut bacon, diced

1 C mushroom (cooked)

1/2 C chicken broth

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tbsp olive oil

Directions: Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add Brussels sprouts and after 3 minutes add green beans. Boil for another 4 minutes. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, saute mushrooms in a small amount of olive oil over medium heat. Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet on medium heat for 8 minutes or until slightly crisp. Add broth and bring to a simmer; cook 2 more minutes. Stir in reserved veggies, salt and pepper. Pour into a 2.5 quart casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

*Optional: add 1 egg to hold casserole together.

GREEN BEAN SALAD WITH RED ONIONS:

Makes 12 servings

Ingredients:

Salt to taste

2 lbs green beans, ends trimmed

1/2 C extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp dijon mustard (must have 3 grams or less of sugar)

4 cloves garlic, smashed

2 small red onions, halved and sliced thin

1/2 C chopped fresh dill, basil or parsley

2 tsp grated lemon zest

1 lemon (may use the peel for zest above)

Directions: In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook green beans until crisp and tender about 3 minutes. Transfer beans to a colander and rinse in cold water. Set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together oil, mustard, garlic and 1 tsp salt. Add onions, herbs, lemon zest and reserved green beans and toss to coat. Place in fridge for 2 hours or overnight. To serve, remove and discard garlic, squeeze fresh lemon juice from 1 lemon over entire contents and toss.

Great Thanksgiving Side!

*Recipe from Country Living Magazine, November 2011

PORTOBELLO BURGERS:

Ingredients:

4 portobello mushrooms, stems on

2 teaspoons grill seasoning

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/2 cup grated 2% Cheddar

4 leaves romaine lettuce

Directions:

Rub the mushroom caps with a damp cloth to clean. Remove stems. In a small bowl combine the grill seasoning, oil, garlic, Worcestershire sauce and vinegar. Brush over the mushrooms making sure to coat completely. Heat grill on medium heat. Put the mushrooms, gill side down, onto the grill and grill about 4 to 5 minutes on each side. After you flip the mushrooms top each with 2 tablespoons of 2% Cheddar and lettuce as desired.

Adapted from the Food network.

STRAWBERRY CUCUMBER SALAD

Ingredients:

2 pickling cucumbers

12 strawberries

1 tablespoon champagne vinegar

3/4 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

1 tablespoon mint, chopped

Directions:

Peel the cucumbers and slice thinly. Hull the strawberries and slice thinly (save one strawberry). Arrange the cumber and strawberry slices on a round, shallow serving plate. Do an outer circle of cumbers. Do a slightly over lapping inner circle of strawberries. Continue making inner circles. Finish with the saved strawberry, sliced in half, served on top in the center. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with vinegar. Drizzle with olive oil. Chill for one hour. Just before serving, garnish with chopped mint.

Remove old leaves and steam for 3 minutes until tender. Drain water and place Brussels sprouts in ice water (to keep color bright green). Cut sprouts in half. Heat 2-3 tbsp butter in pan over medium heat, add onions and cook until tender. Then add remainder of butter onto Brussels sprouts increase to medium high heat and allow to cook for a few more minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.